1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an instant messaging service, and particularly, to a file transmission method in an instant messaging service and a mobile communications terminal for supporting the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, various messaging services such as short messaging service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), e-mail, and the like have been provided to Internet users. Especially, instant messaging is a type of messaging service for which demand has drastically increased in recent times, and like MMS, multimedia data as well as text messages can be transmitted, and has the advantage of allowing the sending and receiving of messages in almost a real-time manner when compared with e-mail. However, such advantages have been provided only in a wired Internet environment, namely, only between Personal Computer users, and such was not appropriate in a wireless environment using a mobile communications terminal such as a mobile phone or Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), due to the following reasons.
In general, wireless instant messaging, namely, instant messaging for a mobile communications terminal, depends upon an Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) specification.
The OMA refers to a consortium established by global companies associated with wireless equipment and services in order to develop the specifications for compatible wireless services and to expand wireless services thereby. According to the OMA specification, SMS is used as a bearer for the instant messaging service.
SMS, with its single specification that was established from the beginning, a low-cost fee charging system, provision of various additional services, and the like, is already widely used over Europe and Asia, and is beginning to expand in the U.S. where initial market penetration was difficult due to problems in standardization, but is expected to become more widespread over the next few years.
However, when using the SMS as the bearer, the limited transmission capacity of the SMS may cause problems in multimedia data transmissions of large capacity. Also, for instant messaging using a data call, the instant messaging function can not be used while a voice call is in progress.
In addition, in the conventional MMS used for transmitting large capacity multimedia data, since real-time messaging cannot be ensured, instant messaging communications between mobile communications terminal users or between a mobile communications terminal user and a PC user is impossible.
Accordingly, the related art had disadvantages due to technical limitations and caused inconveniences to users because it was practically impossible to transmit files, particularly, multimedia data having a large capacity such as music files, image files, video files, etc., using a wireless instant messaging service between mobile communications terminals or between a mobile communications terminal and a PC user.